TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha confirmed that President Yudhoyono (SBY) would not attend the funeral of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Julian said President SBY had also yet to determine Indonesia's representatives to attend the funeral.
"President SBY cannot possibly attend the funeral because he is scheduled to be in Tokyo, Japan on Dec 12," said Julian yesterday.
Furthermore, the spokesman said President SBY would ask for the recommendation from the Foreign Affairs Minister regarding the confirmation of sending the Indonesian representatives.
Nelson Mandela, the first South African President and the Nobel Prize laureate for Peace and the receiver of the Freedom Medal from the US died at the age of 95 after battling his diseases.
Mandela is slated to be buried next Sunday, December 15 at Qunu Village, his hometown.
MAYA NAWANGWULAN